Life cycle and seasonal regulation of Onychogomphus forcipatus unguiculatus in the Seybouse River, Algeria (Insecta: Odonata)
Life cycle and seasonal regulation of *Onychogomphus forcipatus unguiculatus* in the Seybouse River, Algeria (Insecta: Odonata) 00
Boudjéma Samraouia,b ✉️
,
Laïd Touatia,c,
Manuel Ferreras-Romerod,
Ahmed H. Alfarhane,
Farrah Samraouia,f
- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Algeria
- Department of Biology, University of Annaba, Annaba, Algeria
- Department of Biology & Plant Ecology, Mentouri Brothers University Constantine 1, Constantine 25000, Algeria
- Gerona 9, 41003 Seville, Spain
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box-2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Ecology, Université 8 Mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 27, Pages 1-10, 2024
https://doi.org/10.48156/1388.2024.1917253
Published: 12 January 2024 (Received: 31 July 2023, Accepted: 21 December 2023)
Abstract
Understanding the seasonal regulation and life cycle patterns of Odonata is critical to identifying the factors that influence their voltinism. While the life history and seasonal regulation of Odonata, particularly gomphids, has been studied extensively, few studies have focused on North African gomphids. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the life cycle of Onychogomphus forcipatus unguiculatus (Vander Linden, 1823), a western Mediterranean gomphid, on the Seybouse River in northeastern Algeria and discuss its seasonal regulation. Our results imply that a generation of O. f. unguiculatus requires two years to develop. The appearance of small (F-6) larvae in early spring can be attributed to the hatching of eggs in the previous year, followed by their overwintering in interstitial habitats. This abrupt appearance of small larvae is the result of their unique life history strategy of developing and surviving in specialized habitats during winter, then continuously growing and developing. The senior cohort overlaps with its junior counterpart, overwintering primarily in instars F-1, F-2, and, to a lesser extent, F-3, before beginning to emerge in late spring and early summer. By examining the voltinism and life cycle patterns of O. f. unguiculatus, this study contributes to our understanding of the reproductive strategies and population dynamics of this western Mediterranean gomphid, as well as of factors affecting the phenology and ecology of Odonata, particularly in North Africa, and in this manner contributes to overall efforts to protect and manage freshwater ecosystems in this region.
Keywords: Dragonfly, Anisoptera, freshwater ecosystems, phenology, voltinism, Western Mediterranean
Issue section: Original Article